JUNE 12, Matthew 1:18-21

Did you notice the word ‘espoused’ in Matthew 1:18? Another word for it is ‘betrothed’. They are old words that mean ‘engaged to be married’. When a man and a woman want to marry each other, they may first get engaged. Today the couple may throw a party or just gather some friends and relatives for a meal to announce their engagement. For Jews, it was compulsory for them to hold a simple ceremony. The man and woman would make an agreement or a promise to get married.

The betrothal or engagement was a serious matter. The engagement would normally last for a year. The man would look for a house and would make preparations for the wedding. Two things tell us of how seriously the Jews treat the betrothal. First, if her fiancé died before the wedding, the betrothed woman would be considered a widow. Second, the betrothed couple must be faithful to each other. Otherwise, the unfaithful man or woman would be considered guilty of breaking the seventh of the Ten Commandment. That man or woman would be judged to have committed adultery. Under the Law of Moses, they had to go through a divorce.

Today we read that Mary was betrothed to Joseph. When Joseph found that she was pregnant, he was distressed. He wanted to put her away, which means to divorce her. But, he did not. The angel Gabriel had told him the truth in a dream. Joseph trusted and obeyed God’s words and married Mary as promised. Not only is it important to keep our word but also to find out the truth before we make any decision. 

We all know that Mary’s baby was Jesus, our Saviour who ‘was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and is the Son of God’. God promised to send Jesus to
save us. He did. God always keep His word. God is faithful.

Make use of the clues to fill in the blanks:

Thought: I must always trust God, keep my word and love the truth.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Thy faithfulness in sending Thy Son, Jesus to save us. Help me to commit each day into Your hands, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.